At this moment, Lu Ren has passed the Eight Gates Test and has been transported to the inner chamber of the cave mansion. Inside, there is a huge square with giant lanterns around the perimeter. Above the square, there is a massive blood-red gate, now open. By entering the gate, one can undergo the ultimate assessment.
However, Lu Ren has no intention of entering. Over the years, no one has been able to pass the ultimate assessment. With his mediocre bloodline, he believes he lacks the ability to pass it directly. Even in the test of the Dry Gate, he only persevered for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, relying on a slight physical advantage.
Therefore, he plans to further enhance his strength before attempting the ultimate assessment. He believes that killing is the best way to improve his power. However, he will not actively seek out killings. His principle is "Do not offend me, I do not offend others." If someone dares to plot against him, he is not opposed to killing them.
With these thoughts in mind, Lu Ren hides behind a lantern to conceal his presence. He then enters the Nameless Pagoda to rest for a day and recover from his injuries.
Outside the Tun Shi Cave Mansion!
"Why isn't Lu Ren participating in the ultimate assessment?" Ge Yifan is extremely surprised. Lu Ren was the first to complete the Eight Gates Test, yet he is not proceeding directly to the ultimate assessment, which can only accommodate one person at a time.
"This is a perfect opportunity," he adds.
If this is delayed, and others also complete the Eight Gates Test, Lu Ren will be in danger. Xie Kuang sneers, "Lu Ren just withstood the fierce attacks of the Tun Shi Beast, sustaining serious injuries. He is hiding there to heal!"
The crowd nods in agreement. And just as they are discussing, another figure appears on the Tun Shi Square. It is an elderly man in tattered clothes with white hair, around fifty years old, and a horrifying scar on his forehead.
"It's Huang Qi! He actually passed the Eight Gates Test before Xu Fu!" The crowd is shocked. Among the most competitive individuals in the Tun Shi Cave Mansion, besides the Ghost Sword Disciple Tang Hao, there are Huang Qi and Xu Fu, both of whom have opened nine spirit channels.
However, Xu Fu is much younger than Huang Qi and has a stronger bloodline talent. Xu Fu is a Tier 4 bloodline, while Huang Qi is only Tier 3. In their eyes, the first to pass the Eight Gates Test should have been Huang Qi, excluding the unexpected Lu Ren.
"If Huang Qi discovers Lu Ren, Lu Ren is doomed!" Gu Yifan sneers.
At this moment, Lu Ren, hidden behind the Hua table, also noticed Huang Qi but did not reveal himself. Advanced hunters often appear in the form of prey. Therefore, Lu Ren intentionally shifted his position, creating some noise.
"Who's there?" Huang Qi, seeing that the door to the Ultimate Trial had not closed and believing himself to be the first to complete the Eight Gates Test, was just reveling in joy when a strange sound pulled him back from his enjoyment. He walked over and saw Lu Ren hiding behind the Hua table. After an initial shock, he then showed a look of wild joy and said, "It's you, the one with the inferior bloodline. I can't believe you passed the Eight Gates Test before me!"
Lu Ren wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and deliberately showed a hint of fear in his eyes, saying, "What do you want?"
"What do I want? I want to kill you, of course. The Ultimate Trial can only be for one person!" Huang Qi said coldly.
Lu Ren gritted his teeth and said, "If I weren't injured during the Eight Gates Test, you might not be my match."
"It seems you were seriously injured during the Eight Gates Test. No wonder you didn't go for the Ultimate Trial. It's truly a blessing for me!" Huang Qi said, smiling with his hands behind his back. "I will kill you first and then go for the Ultimate Trial!"
Boom! As soon as he finished speaking, he made his move, unleashing the power within him and fiercely striking out at Lu Ren with a skill: Yellow-grade lower-class martial skill: Dragon Seizing Hand!
The palm strike seemed to have the shadow of a dragon's claw flickering. Lu Ren instantly felt that this palm strike was exceptionally fierce, with each finger being powerful and strong. The power of this palm strike was already much stronger than his Tiger Fist.
However, facing this attack, Lu Ren remained motionless. Just as the palm strike was about to hit him, he forcefully activated the Explosive Spirit Secret Technique, swiftly merging the aura of the five spiritual apertures to form a vortex, then unleashed a punch! Tiger Fist!
Seeing Lu Ren unleash the Tiger Fist, Huang Qi's face showed a disdainful smile. Lu Ren's power was inferior to his, and the martial skill he used was just the common Tiger Fist. How could he compete with him?
Boom! The fists clashed, and a tremendous force entered Huang Qi's body.
Ah! Huang Qi screamed in pain as he was sent flying backward, falling to the ground and feeling unable to move his right arm.
Just with one punch, he was defeated!
"How is this possible?" Huang Qi's face, still showing arrogance earlier, gradually turned into shock. He said, "You only opened seven spiritual apertures, while I opened nine, and my Dragon Seizing Hand is perfected. How could I be defeated by you?"
"You talk too much!" Lu Ren sneered and directly killed Huang Qi with a palm strike. Then, he dragged Huang Qi behind a stone pillar and began searching through his belongings.
After a while, his gaze fell on the thumb guard on Huang Qi's thumb, which he took off. Lu Ren infused his own spiritual energy into it and started to assess his spoils.
"This guy was the second one to pass the Eight Gates Trial, his strength is extraordinary, he must have quite a treasure trove!" Lu Ren muttered to himself.
Copper coins, fifty thousand!
Twenty lower-tier martial arts techniques, five intermediate-tier martial arts techniques, and one lower-tier martial arts technique.
Twenty pieces of lower-grade spirit stones.
Plus some common healing elixirs.
"I can now try to merge my sixth spiritual aperture!" Lu Ren thought to himself as he entered the tower space.
With twenty-one pieces of lower-grade spirit stones on him, he could endure forty-two years of arduous cultivation. Lu Ren sat down and began merging the aura of the sixth spiritual aperture.
After twenty years, Lu Ren completed the fusion of the sixth spiritual aperture. With a single punch, he could now exert nearly twelve thousand kilograms of force, a level of power generally achievable by martial artists who have opened twelve spiritual apertures.
With over twenty years remaining, Lu Ren abandoned thoughts of merging the seventh spiritual aperture and concentrated on refining his martial arts skills.
As the saying goes, having many skills won't weigh you down!
In the tower, Lu Ren casually selected three lower-tier martial arts techniques: Sword Finger, Mountain Shaking Fist, and Seven Wounds Palm. Each of these martial arts had its own unique strengths, and Lu Ren believed that once he could use them in battle, they would be stronger than his previous Tiger Fist technique.
Lu Ren spent over twenty years refining these three lower-tier martial arts techniques to perfection.
Coming out of the tower space, only a second had passed in the outside world. Lu Ren hid behind the stone pillar and continued to wait.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a young man carrying a pitch-black long sword appeared. Seeing that the light gate had not closed, he grinned and said, "It looks like I am the first to pass the Eight Gates Trial!"
"Tang Hao?" Lu Ren's heart stirred, just about to use the same trick and kill Tang Hao.
Suddenly! Multiple figures appeared almost simultaneously and landed in the center of the square.
Lu Ren estimated that there were at least thirty to forty people.
"This is the Tuo She Square. It is said that as long as you enter the Tuo She Square, you can participate in the ultimate trial!"
"We were clearly still in the process of the Eight Gates Trial, how did we end up here?"
"What's going on?"
These bewildered warriors who were transported in looked puzzled.
Tang Hao, seeing this scene, also hid, preparing to take advantage of the situation!
Like a mantis stalking the cicada, and the oriole behind, he hid in the shadows. Once he killed Huang Qi and Xu Fu, no one would dare to compete with him.
Of course, the one he most wanted to kill was Lu Ren. When Lu Ren was also transported out, he would definitely strike and kill Lu Ren.